Subject Specialist:
Law, Political Science, International Affairs
814-863-1347
e-mail: hms2@psu.edu
Course guide for more general history resources
Helen Sheehy
Title: Head Social Sciences Library
Subject Specialist:
Law, Political Science, International Affairs
814-863-1347
e-mail: hms2@psu.edu
Course guide for more general history resources
American Presidency Project [University of California, Santa Barbara] — the most comprehensive of the online resources of presidential papers, it includes the Public Papers of the President, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Papers, signing statements, radio addresses, and more.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications — the definitive catalog of publications of the federal government. This online catalog indexes publications from 1976 to the present. Use the advanced search function to narrow your search to the Reagan years.
U. S. Serial Set — a collection of early congressional materials and executive branch reports submitted to congress.
CIS index to U.S. executive branch documents, 1789-1909: guide to documents listed in Checklist of U.S. public documents, 1789-1909, not printed in the U.S. serial set — has an accompanying microfiche collection. These documents are also listed in the Libraries' catalog but are sometimes more easily located through the printed indexes.
CIS index to U.S. executive branch documents, 1910-1932: guide to documents not printed in the U.S. serial set
A continuation of the collection above
CQ (Congressional Quarterly) Electronic Library — high-quality background information and summaries of legislative action.
Congressional [Proquest]
provides access to full-text congressional and legislative information back to 1789. Includes:
HeinOnline
while the Congressional Record is easier to search in ProQuest Congressional, the PDF version in HeinOnline is more readable. So, sometimes locating what you need in ProQuest Congressional and then reading in HeinOnline is a good option.
Population and Housing Data
Census data comes in several types. Population and Housing data (the Decennial censuses) will give population and occupation data, including data on farm labor.
American Factfinder — the primary online tool for current census data.
Historical Census Browser (University of Virginia)
Census of Agriculture
Until 1997 the Census Bureau also did a Census of Agriculture approximately every 5 to 10 years. In 1997 the USDA took over this function.
Statistical Abstract of the United States — published since 1878, it is a comprehensive compendium of U.S. statistics.
Historical Statistics of the United States — combines data from the statistical abstracts and many other government sources into one convenient package
USDA Data and Statistics — the main website for current agricultural statistics
Many policy papers have been written on your topics by government agencies and interest groups. These reports can help you identify the major issues and players engaged in discussing your topic.
Note: [Penn State Libraries] indicates a resource available to researchers with a Penn State Access Account.
CRS (Contressional Research Service) Reports [Penn State Libraries]
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), a branch of the Library of Congress, produces excellent reports on a wide of topics including health care policy. The reports are designed for policymakers who are working on legislation or study public policy issues.
GAO (Government Accountability Office) Reports
The audit arm of Congress, the Government Accountability Office researches the effectiveness of government programs and government spending. Excellent for understanding the effectiveness/outcomes of government programs.
PolicyFile [Penn State Libraries]
Reports from public policy think tanks, university research programs, research organizations, and publishers. Many of these organizations are the major "players" in health policy debates.
Congressional and Legislative Research — if you need more in-depth information
